Currency and maintenance

[sharpend]

It seems very likely that most of us will go out of currency and our aircraft will need a service. For those like me, that may be a problem as there is no maintenance outlet that can perform an annual at my base. My currency will also be out of date, and even if I am allowed to recover it by 3 solo landings I will still have to solve the problem of an out of date Annual. The car MOT has been addressed. I wonder when aviation will catch up. Any clues?

[Pilot DAR]

There are, and will continue to be, two sides to currency; the paperwork side, and the "actual" side. The paperwork issues can be managed by exemptions/extensions (medicals, and pilot currency) and flight permits, to allow out of date aircraft to be ferried for maintenance. Here in Canada, pilot medicals have already been given blanket extensions.

The greater issue will happen in the future when things free up, and pilots (and instructors/mentors) who have not flown in a while do whatever it takes to go flying, Will their skills be up to the flight? And then an aircraft which sat for a while, to now be ferried for maintenance, is the aircraft actually fit for even a ferry flight? In the hands of a pilot who's not quite as sharp if something goes bang? Then, the line up in front of the maintenance hangar.

Our society will find a reasonable way to handle the paperwork side for extensions, it'll be up to we pilots to manage the "actuals" of the situation. I think about this every spring, when I fly my first few solo water landings, having not splashed for the preceding six months. It's not like I can find an instructor any more current than I am, the water's been hard for months! I approach the self training with a plan, and extra caution, iteratively getting myself back up to standard. For those pilots who are not subject to a calendar regulatory requirement for a disciplined checkout, it will be necessary that they do an effective self checkout, focusing on emergencies, which seem to be too rusty at the best of times!

[LastStandards]

It seems very likely that most of us will go out of currency and our aircraft will need a service. For those like me, that may be a problem as there is no maintenance outlet that can perform an annual at my base. My currency will also be out of date, and even if I am allowed to recover it by 3 solo landings I will still have to solve the problem of an out of date Annual. The car MOT has been addressed. I wonder when aviation will catch up. Any clues?

From a purely regulatory point of view - while very much agreeing with Pilot DAR's sensible points - this remains reasonably simple, for now. 3 landings currency is only required for passenger carriage, for any other private flight you merely require a valid class rating, along with suitable medical to validate the level of licence being used at that point in time. An expired Annual and/or ARC are annoying, but fixable with an engineering inspection leading to a ferry permit (£90 to the CAA last time I had to use one, engineer's inspection usually the more expensive bit). None of it easy, but the regulatory side does remain reasonably simple.

[A and C]

People have been reading the current so called lockdown regulations in the most restrictive way possible, it is clear that there is nothing in the regulations to stop you flying the aircraft to a place of maintenance and for maintenance work to be carried out.

Pure Leisure flying is not appropriate but it is clear from the government guidance that the industry needs to be in a position to re-start as soon as practicable and as long as appropriate social distancing measures are observed preparing for the re-start is a wise and economically essential course of action.

[Whopity]

From Gov Website
Recreational flyingCurrent government guidance on coronavirus precludes recreational GA flying.

This is being observed in practice by the vast majority of the GA community, and we are grateful to them for doing so. The message we are receiving from the GA community is that they fully appreciate the need for these restrictions, and observing them is being widely encouraged throughout the community. Again, we are grateful for this.

Because the directive to stay at home is being well observed, we do not perceive a need to introduce a specific ban on flying by visual flight rules (VFR) as seen in some European countries.

This will have the significant benefit of allowing flexibility, and allowing GA flights to resume as overarching restrictions on movement are lifted.

The above does not apply to search and rescue operations, or where it absolutely necessary to fly to, or for, work. In all of these activities, we expect public organisations and businesses to be socially responsible in the decisions they make, and to apply social distancing guidelines.Maintenance workshopsWorkshops which carry out essential maintenance are entitled to continue (in line with guidance regarding car workshops) provided PHE guidance is followed:

follow social distancing advice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults)
frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings), using your standard cleaning products

[Dave Gittins]

My fear is that with a medical that lapses on 30 April but an SEP class rating until Jan 2022, that it'll be the insurance requirement for a checkout if not flown in preceding 30 days that'll get us; even if the medicals get extended.

[MrAverage]

A man of your calibre would sail through a Club or group checkout!

[A and C]

Discorde

The recency requirements are laid down by the AOC holder in the operations manual part A and vary between operators , I work for an airline that has a recency requirement of a great deal more than 28 days. So his is not a valid reason for recreational aviation as it is not law just an operator requirement .

[Duo802]

My fear is that with a medical that lapses on 30 April but an SEP class rating until Jan 2022, that it'll be the insurance requirement for a checkout if not flown in preceding 30 days that'll get us; even if the medicals get extended.
Can't recall ever seeing an insurance policy that requires checkouts, certainly ours doesn't. That's not to say that some might exist out there. I think flying schools often use 'insurance' as one of the reasons to justify a check flight if you haven't flown one of their aircraft, for example, in the last 28 day, when in fact, their insurance says no such thing.

[mothminor]

I`m due an instructor hour in June (LAPL).
Normally I would use my own aeroplane and fly to a convenient airfield for the instructor.
Unless the CAA give an extension, I will have to do a skills test with an examiner (driving to his airfield and using his aeroplane).
This will incur a massive cost, (some schools will insist on revision training as I will not be familiar with their aircraft, £££).
This may cause some PPL`s not to bother at all.


.

[Prop swinger]

Or, you can just do the missing recency requirements - training hour & supervised solo time & landings. You're not required to do a proficiency check.

[mothminor]

The privileges of your licence will only remain valid if you have completed, in the last 24 months, as pilot of an aeroplane or TMG:

At least 12 hours flight time as PIC, including 12 take-offs and landings; and
Refresher training of at least 1 hour of total flight time with an instructor.

If you do not meet these requirements you will need to:

Complete a proficiency check with an examiner before you exercise the privileges of the licence; or
Complete the additional flight time or take-offs and landings to meet the requirements above, flying dual or solo, under the supervision of an instructor.

Which I interpret as:
If you have not flown enough - complete required hours under supervision of an instructor
If you have not done the hour with an instructor - fly with an examiner.

[BEagle]

That changed last October:FCL.140.A LAPL(A) — Recency requirements

(a) Holders of a LAPL(A) shall exercise the privileges of their licence only if in the last 2 years they have met any of the following conditions as pilots of aeroplanes or TMGs:
(1) they have completed at least 12 hours of flight time as PIC or flying dual or solo under the supervision of an instructor, including:
— 12 take-offs and landings;
— refresher training of at least 1 hour of total flight time with an instructor;
(2) they have passed a LAPL(A) proficiency check with an examiner. The proficiency check programme shall be based on the skill test for the LAPL(A);
(b) If holders of a LAPL(A) hold both a SEP(land) and a SEP(sea) privilege, they may comply with the requirements in point (a)(1) in either class or a combination thereof which shall be valid for both privileges. For this purpose, at least 1 hour of the required flight time and 6 out of the required 12 take-offs and landings shall be completed in each class.

[mothminor]

Thanks BEagle.
So I can easily go 3 years between instructor flights :)

[mothminor]

Only drawback of letting the 2 years since the last instructor flight lapse, is that I could not then fly to an instructor :(

[shorehamite]

Ring your insurance company, get the policy changed so its good for training and testing, then the instructor/examiner can come to you.